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CUR-Goldwater Scholars Faculty Mentor Award

Overview. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation (BGSF) Program (hereafter Goldwater Scholars (GS) Program) request nominations of an outstanding faculty mentor for the CUR-Goldwater Scholars (CUR-GS) Faculty Mentor Award. The faculty mentor must conduct her/his research in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) discipline (as defined by the Goldwater Scholars program) and must have mentored at least three Goldwater Scholars during his/her career.

The 2018 CUR-GS Faculty Mentor Award will be awarded at the CUR Biennial in July 2018. The awardee will receive a plaque and offer remarks at the award ceremony. In addition, $5000 will be awarded to the recipient’s institution and dedicated to support of the faculty mentor’s research program and/or current undergraduate researchers.

Eligibility. Faculty members in STEM disciplines who have five or more years of teaching and research experience past the terminal degree in their discipline are eligible for the award.

Nomination Process. A faculty member must be nominated for the CUR-GS Faculty Mentor Award by her/his institution. Self-nominations will not be accepted. The initial nomination packet should include as original (rather than scanned) PDF files:

A letter from the institution’s president or provost highlighting the nominee’s contributions to the mentoring of Goldwater Scholars on the institution’s campus,

A three-page CV of the nominee, and

A list (minimum of three) of all Goldwater Scholars (Scholars and Honorable Mentions) with whom the nominee has worked that includes each student’s name; year of the Goldwater award; and an indication of whether the nominee was (1) the sole research mentor, (2) the joint mentor, or (3) a supporter of the student in preparing his/her Goldwater application only.

Upon review of these materials, a subset of the nominees will be asked to submit a complete application portfolio. A complete portfolio would include the following in this order:

A first-person written narrative (no more than 5 pages) that provides (1) a description of the nominee’s experiences in mentoring undergraduates in research; (2) experiences in mentoring undergraduates in research who have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships, including the names and award years for at least three Goldwater Scholarship recipients; and (3) philosophy of engagement of undergraduates in research.

Two letters of reference from current or former Goldwater Scholars whose research has been directly mentored by the faculty member.

Two letters of reference from colleagues who have had the opportunity to observe the candidate’s mentorship.

A list (minimum of three) of all Goldwater Scholars (Scholars and Honorable Mentions) with whom the nominee has worked that includes each student’s name; year of the Goldwater award; and an indication of whether the nominee was (1) the sole research mentor, (2) the joint mentor, or (3) a supporter of the student in preparing his/her Goldwater application only. (Note: this can be the same list provided with the initial nomination or an updated list, taking into account any Goldwater Scholars (either Scholars or Honorable Mentions) named since the initial portfolio was prepared.)

The letter submitted by the president or provost (which will formally identify the applicant as an institutional nominee), the three-page CV, and the list of Goldwater mentees will also be used as part of the final application portfolio.

As the evidentiary basis for identifying successful mentors of undergraduate researchers can take many forms, the following list is meant to be non-inclusive but illustrative of the types of activities that will be considered in the selection process:

Evidence of consistent research and scholarly activity involving undergraduate students in STEM research;

Stature as a researcher, as evidenced by a consistent record of peer-reviewed publications and presentations throughout his or her career (it is recommended that undergraduate researcher authors are highlighted, including any Goldwater Scholars);

Record of mentoring undergraduates whose work has led to peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations;

Innovative approaches to mentoring undergraduates, including involvement of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in undergraduate student mentorship;

Extramural support for undergraduate research activities through grants, contracts, or fund-raising;

Admission of students to postgraduate and professional programs and/or employment in business or industry postgraduation; and

Baccalaureate and postgraduate awards, honors, and recognition resulting from a student’s undergraduate research experience with the mentor.

Number of Nominations per Institution. Institutions can nominate one candidate for the CUR-GS Faculty Mentor Award per year.

Postal/Email Addresses. All nomination materials should be mailed or emailed to:

Deadline. The deadline for nominations by the institution’s president or provost is November 6, 2017.

Questions? Questions may be addressed to Elizabeth Ambos (eambos@cur.org or 202-783-4810 x 201).

[1] For the purposes of the CUR-GS award, STEM disciplines will correlate directly with the disciplines identified in the eligibility for Goldwater Scholars’ awards (http://www.act.org/goldwater/). Please see the website for Goldwater Scholars for more information.